by The Cowl Editor on November 1, 2018
Poetry
by Estarlyn Hiraldo ’21
My identity —
Think it’s all been a success
Listen to the verses in my head
when I address
Failure at its best
Told me I’m a mess
Feel the melanin out of control
inside the chess
When can I confess?
No longer hold this heft
Claim that they’re the greatest
on the pavement or the nest
Settling for less
Never did they bless
The fear inside my cheers
Man, how could they possibly forget?
Columbus at his quest
Never took a rest
Enslaving all his children,
Carry gold to reach the crest
Blend colors like a vest
More
Conquer to the West
Lord
Save me from this misery
Human body picaresque
Injecting me with fear
Near
They all disappear
Dear
White men on the road
told me not to persevere
Hear
My men, they complain
Grain
Feeding us the same
Name
White is who to blame
When the Blacks all die in vain
Picking coffee sugar beans
Tell me what you really mean
Say our breath brings out the drought
Struggle, that’s what we’re about
Still we’re building up a plan
can you all just understand?
Find a way to see our soul
Never have we reached our goal
Come ahead to feel our tears
Bloody skin screaming with cheers
Our hands are cuffed with braces
While these angels hate our races
You crumble our skin like tree trunks
Spill our blood on your streets, son
We do so much for you now
But you all should fear when it’s time
See us guiding all our troops
Fear my people when they’re free
Seek to reach salvation
To liberate our nation
From the poison of the West
Protecting at their best.